Richmond residents have been left angered by untamed verges outside their doors as part of a council scheme to improve biodiversity.

The council introduced the scheme in 2020 after finalising the Climate Emergency Strategy and Air Quality Action Plan.

The aim of this reduction in cuts is to encourage wildflowers and grass to grow and increase biodiversity.

In designated areas a conservation cut occurs once a year at the end of the growing season. This provides annual plants the opportunity to complete their lifecycles and increase their population.

A Ham resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, told Nub News of the issues they were facing in the Ham Lands area.

Sally Brown* said: "The concept is idyllic but in reality it does not work."

Ms Brown said that as the grass grows it becomes increasingly difficult for residents to reach their cars. Residents have to walk along the pavement and onto the main road in order to reach their cars from the other side. This is particularly dangerous for people with young children in prams and wheelchair users.

Furthermore, these verges have proven hazardous for dogs, as grass seeds can break off and get into their paws.

Another resident told Nub News that they had paid £400 in vet bills to take care of the infection that resulted from the seeds becoming lodged. Their neighbour has had the same issue three times.

These verges cannot be avoided as they are directly outside the residents' front doors.

The matter has been made worse when the grass cuttings, or arisings, are left to die after cutting. Arisings are left to increase the nutrients in the soil and encourage the growth of competitive coarse grass. According to the council's website the arisings are supposed to be collected.

Councillor Julia Neden-Watts, chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee stated that Richmond Council published its strategy after it declared a Climate Emergency and committed to working towards becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

A consultation showed that over 85% of people agreed that the council should make climate change a top priority and 75% supported its ambition to become carbon neutral.

However, residents have claimed they were never consulted about the introduction of "meadows" on the verges.

Ms Brown claimed that last year, during the first lockdown, the council failed to cut the grass when it was due. She said residents filed complaints and were told that the council was low on funds. A sign then appeared in the area informing them of the introduction of meadows and reduced cutting.

While the reduction in cuts increases habitat for pollinators, enhances biodiversity, reduces our carbon footprint, and improves air quality, local residents feel that their voices and concerns about the trial are not being heard.

Richmond Council said that the trial of the new maintenance regime is not a cost-cutting exercise. It said the new equipment needed to cut the longer grass costs more, but believes the environmental gains outweigh the cost. In the longer term they anticipate that the approach will be cost neutral.

Ms Brown also voiced concerns about an increase in graffiti in the area. She said: "Graffiti began to appear because the area looked unkept. It's always been a bit of an issue but it has absolutely exploded more recently."

Figures from Richmond Borough Council have shown there has been an 83% increase in reports of graffiti between 2019-2020.

The number of official reports rose from 545 in 2019 to 1,000 during the 2020 lockdown.

The council offers a service to help homeowners and businesses to remove graffiti.

Highway grass verges are located throughout the borough and will now be subject to three types of maintenance regimes: conservation cuts, rural cuts which will happen three times a year, and urban cuts that will happen monthly.

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